Chikara's Pest
by Diporae
Summary: 2k3verse Season 5 spoiler alert. Ever wonder what Chikara of the Ninja Tribunal thought of Adam's flirtatious comments? Here's a one-shot on both that with a touch of Chikara's history. Just some nice fluff for you to enjoy!


Disclaimer: I sadly do not own TMNT, but I am still forever grateful for their creation!

Chikara's Pest

At last it was over. The Tengu Shredder had been defeated and the Ninja Tribunal returned to the Lap of the Gods free of their millennia long burden. The entire Tribunal was more than ready to return to their peaceful monastery. Chikara, the Master of Strength, especially relished the familiar quiet, which had been stolen from her by the acolytes.

The female ninja indisputably recognized the Tribunal's training regime had been integral in conquering the Great Evil, but the teaching of one particular student had relentlessly vexed Chikara. That American boy, that unfortunately talented warrior, that Adam Whatever-His-Name-Was had been a thorn in Chikara's side since the moment the Ninja Tribunal had laid eyes on him. If only Chikara had known that the star's interpretation would lead to this… this madness!

At first she thought nothing of the boy. A whispered comment to the kame brothers, an occasional longing glance in her direction, nothing the female ninja deemed worthy of her attention, but that was only the beginning. Next came "anonymous" notes – she refused to call them love letters – that would disturb her not just grammatically, but in their imagery as well. Although it had been eons since Chikara had last been courted, she still could recognize a terrible compliment. Comparing her smooth skin to that of a ripe tomato or her glowing eyes to streetlights was not what she considered romantic.

Of course she tried to deter him. In training she physically punished him and regularly humiliated him, but alas these actions only seemed to entice him more. Not long before the Tribunal's acolytes were separated by the Heralds of the Shredder, the boy became more assertive. Chikara, ever a woman of independence, found doors opening for her, shirts thrown on puddles before her (which frankly was ridiculous since she could float anyway), and even breakfast trays outside her quarters. She could not even begin to fathom how he had managed to obtain pancake mix in a monastery known for its frugal food supplies. Yet, he had and Chikara found herself reprimanding her fellow Tribunal members. If an acolyte had even free time for such frivolous activities then the Tribunal was clearly not taking their job seriously. Her wrath only increased when she heard her male colleagues snicker as she departed. It seemed even after a thousand years she had still not earned her due respect from these men.

Chikara had eons ago been just like any other woman. Her parents raised her typical of the era. She was taught all she needed in order to be deemed a desirable wife, but Chikara had also been raised to see the endless abuse her mother endured at her father's hand. Her mother was no more than a beautiful possession to her father and even that beauty could not save her. In her mother's memory, Chikara swore she would bow to no man and fled in the dead of night to avoid her fate. It was on her flight to freedom that the young Chikara was given the chance to learn what would ultimately become the precursor to ninjutsu. Through her training she rewrote her destiny, and gained her freedom. Yet, even when she became one of the legendary Five Dragons she was still regarded as a lesser warrior because of her gender. The Tribunal had come to acknowledge her value as a warrior, but only Hisomi truly respected her as an equal.

The boy was no different. He, like all the others, only sought Chikara because she was beautiful. When the Ninja Tribunal congratulated the acolytes on their defeat of the Shredder, Chikara had seen the boy try to snare her attention. She refused to be trapped and blatantly ignored him. Now that she was home again in the Lap of the Gods, she was tremendously relieved that the boy could never return to the sanctuary without the Tribunal's assistance. She entered her quarters intending to reflect the day's events in a deep state of meditation, but as she folded her legs into position an object on her windowsill caught her eye.

She got up and discovered a tiny green origami paper crane sitting beside an origami flower. On one of the petals was written, "Open me."

Chikara regarded the flower with a frown. She was all too aware of the sinking feeling in her stomach as she unfolded the paper undoubtedly from an all too familiar pest. She was surprised to see how short it was and despite herself she held her breath as her eyes slid across the untidy scrawl.

"Dear Chikara Shisho,

I know you hate me so I'll keep this short.

From the moment I first saw you I was in love. You are the most beautiful woman alive. I wanted to do anything I could to be with you, but as our training progressed, my feelings changed. You are not beautiful Chikara. No, beautiful does not do you justice. You are loyal, brave, driven, and so much more than just beautiful. I wish I could be the person you deserve, but I'm not. I am not worthy of you and I respect that. Please forgive my stupidity for taking so long to get it. I wish you all the happiness in the world; you deserve it.

Your acolyte,

Adam"

Chikara read the note once more, carefully folded it back into its original flower design, and placed it back beside the crane on the window sill. She stared out the glass, but although her eyes were open she did not see the clouds dyed pink and orange by the twilight. The female ninja was only broken out of her thoughts when a silent presence appeared beside her. She did not need to look to know Hisomi now shared her view of the now rising moon. The room was completely still and silent but the two Dragons had no need for such petty means of communication. In a rare act between them Chikara broke the silence, "True, you did give me that chance."

Silence was his reply as he continued to stare out into the night as if she had never spoken. Chikara quietly spoke again anyway, "I guess I do owe it to you."

She gave a hint of a smile and shook her head somehow understanding his quiet demeanor, "For the both of us then."

It seemed as if the exchange was over when Hisomi turned to leave, but the Chikara whispered so softly that only a ninja of Hisomi's caliber would be able to hear, "You're sure?"

He stood perfectly still for a moment and then with not even a backward glance he left. After several minutes a quiet whisper came from the lone female figure in the moonlight, "Then it's time I saw this city they call Miami."


End file.
